Frozen
by CrazyBeaver
Summary: "Everything froze. Time itself froze for a moment. Or maybe it was Danny's heart that did, as he could swear it had stopped right there". A slightly different take on the scene close to the end of the movie.


_A/N: Okay, I have no idea what came over me but anyway… hope you enjoy this story!_

_I don't own Hot Fuzz._

**Frozen**

Everything just happened very fast. Too fast for anyone to even fully comprehend what was happening. Danny had his eyes fixed on Nicholas' face, the mask of fear on it being so alien and out of place that it sent chills down the constable's spine.

"You know who you are," Weaver's voice sliced the silence like a knife but Danny barely registered it, his limbs heavy and unmoving as the pure terror almost completely blocked him from reality, leaving only Nicholas' doomed expression as some kind of a background in Danny's sight, "a bloody busybody!"

Everything froze. Time itself froze for a moment. Or maybe it was Danny's heart that did, as he could swear it had stopped right there. The chill running down his spine was now inside of him, turning his stomach, and his entire body felt like it was made out of ice.

Danny didn't know what broke him out of that state. Maybe it was the sound of a gunshot. Maybe it was the fact that Nicholas' face suddenly disappeared from view. The next thing he knew was that he was running towards where Nicholas had been, vaguely registering as the silence around him exploded with the chaos of panicked movements and noises. Dropping to his knees by the sergeant's side, he took in his appearance, spotting a large patch of red growing rapidly on his chest. This time it definitely wasn't ketchup.

"He better not be dead, Weaver," Andy Wainwright growled somewhere far, far away. Someone else was closing in but Danny just didn't care.

Nicholas was still breathing, and every breath he drew made his whole body shake. Danny slipped his arm under Angel's shoulders and lifted him up a bit. It took a few agonising seconds for the sergeant's eyes to focus on the face in front of him.

"Don't cry…" his voice was reduced to a breathy whisper as his eyes were also getting wet. Danny hadn't realised that he was, indeed, crying, tears leaving wet traces on his face.

Nicholas tried to lift his hand up, probably to try and wipe the tears, but it turned out to be too hard for him and he dropped his arm back down weakly. He coughed, and Danny felt his vision blur again when he saw blood in the corner of his friend's mouth. He tried to say something, to thank Nicholas for everything, for being a great friend, but all that came out was just a sob. _I must have been faster, I should have done something, I could have prevented this…_

"Danny…" Nicholas breathed out, trying to meet Danny's gaze despite his vision was going out. He seemed to be trying to smile. Finally, his eyes met the constable's and his features softened for a split second before going completely still as his body went absolutely limp.

Something was going on behind Danny's back, something that, if he had listened, he would have identified as the sound of a punch, followed by the sound of something falling down. There was a short blessed silence and then everything exploded. Literally. Danny only remembered thinking that it was really the best thing to end everything. The hero dies and then stuff blows up… could have been a great movie… even though without a happy ending. And now everybody dies and…

And why was he still able to think? Something wasn't right. Cautiously, Danny opened his eyes and looked around him, bewildered at the fact that he was still alive as he recognised his surroundings as a hospital room.

"Morning, Danny," Doris came into view, her arm in a cast and her face covered in small cut and bruises.

"Nicholas…" Danny forced out despite the lump in his throat.

"He wanted to come and see you but the doctors don't let him get up yet," she replied helpfully, earning one more bewildered look. "It was you who made us worry most. Jumping in front of Weaver's gun… What were you thinkin'?"

Danny shut his eyes, trying to remember what really happened and what was just a dream. To be honest, he hadn't been thinking anything at all. But now that he had seen what exactly he had prevented… he was glad that things had gone the way they really had.

A few minutes later Danny Butterman fell asleep again, this time peacefully and without dreams. He knew that when he woke up, someone would be there for him. And maybe, soon enough, he would see Nicholas, who wasn't dead, and everything would be just fine…


End file.
